Two pet parents endured their worst nightmare when their beloved service dog, Sailor, escaped from their backyard. As if the situation wasn’t terrifying enough, the treasured Frenchie ended up in the hands of two cruel con artists.
The Miami couple sought the help of their local police department when they began to receive upsetting texts about their beloved service dog, Sailor. Sailor had somehow escaped from their backyard earlier that day, so her pet parents took to social media to spread awareness. They shared their phone number in hopes of someone contacting them when she was found, and this presented an opportunity for a pair of local criminals.
It turns out that while Sailor was exploring her neighborhood, she stumbled upon two Miami residents that were looking for a scam opportunity. It’s not clear if they saw her parent’s online posts before or after stealing her, but what they did next was unthinkable.
Reinier Fuentes and Lilianne Dominguez soon sent a text to Sailor’s parents demanding $1,000 in exchange for their service dog’s safe return. Sailor’s parents were shocked and horrified by the message but were willing to do whatever it took to get their beloved pup back.
“She stated the dog had gotten out of her house earlier that day. She began canvassing the 5th Avenue neighborhood and posting on Facebook with no luck. A short time later she began receiving phone calls and texts from the suspects, later identified as Fuentes and Dominguez, stating they had the dog. The suspects demanded $1,000 for the dog’s safe return. They agreed to meet in Miami on June 26 for the exchange.” – Miami authorities
They soon determined a meeting point at the Dadeland Mall and agreed to meet the following day for the much-anticipated exchange. It may have seemed like the perfect scam for Fuentes and Dominguez, but they had no idea who Sailor’s parents were bringing along with them.
The Frenchie’s parents reached out to the police the moment they received the text, and law enforcement took this as an opportunity to bring the law-breaking couple down. Their evil plan broke a handful of laws, including both grand theft and the use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
“The female victim stated she would pay whatever the price and the suspects instructed her to meet them at Dadeland Mall with the $1,000 or she would never see the dog again.” – Miami authorities
The couple arrived at the mall with Sailor in tow, ready to offer up the pup in exchange for the $1,000 ransom. Once the couple handed over the service dog and accepted the money, the police swept in and arrested them.
We can’t imagine how stressful of an experience this was for Sailor and her pet parents, but we are so happy to hear that she is now safe and sound at home. We hope this scamming couple faces the maximum punishment for their disgusting plan.
Toledo, United States.
